Washing machine



H. J. CRINER WASHING MACHINE March 3, 1953 2 SHEETS--SHEET 1 Filed Aug. 20, 1948 JNVEN TOR.

H. J. CRINER WASHING MACHINE March 3, 1953 2 Sl-lEETS-Sl-IEET 2 Filed Aug. 20, 1948 E JZVVENTOR.

Patented Mar. 3, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,630,001 WASHING MACHINE Harry J. Criner, Davenport, Iowa, assignor of onehalf to A. G. Bush, Davenport, Iowa Application August 20, 1948, Serial No. 45,406

8 Claims.

walls into contact with a curved semi-dome shaped annular cover whereby they are returned to the central part of the spinner; to provide means by which clothes may be washed in a revolving spinner enclosed in a tub or housing and the water withdrawn from the clothes by centrifugal force without emptying the tub; to provide means for circulating the water from a tub to a circular spinner mounted therein and from the spinner back to the tub, with additional means for controlling or shutting oil such circulation. Other objects will appear from the specification. a

I accomplish these objects by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which;

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of my machine on the line l-l of Figure 2 Figure 2 is a top or plan view of my machine with the covers broken away to show the interior;

Figure 3 is a sectional detail showing an altercorrugations I3.l formed in the sides of the spinner in place of the vanes I 3;

Figure 8 is a sectional elevation on the line 8-8 of Figure 7; p

Figure 9 is a sectional detail on the line 99 of Figure 8.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

My invention comprises a circular housing I the bottom of which is reenforced by an annular flange 3 supported by the castors 6. The top of the housing is formed with a bead rolled thereon and provided with a cover I closely fitting within the head. A handle 8 is united .to the middle of the cover 1.

Approximately midway of the housing I a circular plate 2 is united to the housing on the interior thereof by soldering, by welding or other suitable means, which forms the bottom of the tub portion of my machine. i

An outlet tube 2.l is mounted in the from the tub when desired.

A crossbar- 26 is mounted in the housing below the bottom plate 2 and may be secured by rivets 21 or other suitable means. A tube or column 25 is rigidly united to the crossbar 26 at the center of the housing and has a shaft 24 revolvably mounted therein in bearings 28 and 29. Diagonal brace". 25.! may be united to the column 25 and.

the crossbar 26 to strengthen same.

Mounted upon the top of the shaft 24 by a pressfit is a boss 23 with an enlarged circular head 22 and with a screw-threaded portion I 6 formed integral therewith. A unit I! is mounted.

upon the screw-threaded plug [6 and arranged to hold upon the head 22 the bottom of a circular spinner [2 having side walls which extend upwardly from the bottom plate and are inclined outwardly from the bottom plate.

Upon the lower end of the shaft 24, a pulley 36 is rigidly mounted tobe driven by a belt which in turn is driven by a belt pulley 32 mounted upon the end of the shaft of the motor 33.

The housing of the motor 33 is mounted upon a pivot-shaft mounted in brackets or lugs 35 and 36 welded or otherwise suitably united to the housing with a set screw 34.l to secure the shaft in adjusted position whereby the belt 3| may be tightened to take up slack or loosened to be rein promoting the upward movement of both water and clothes as the centrifugal force carries them to the side wall of the spinner and thence up to the annular cover where the Water is returned to-the tub and the clothes are returned to the middle of the spinner for further washing action.

When the spinner is arranged to travel at the very high speed of 400 R. P. M. or more, such curved portion may be relatively small, but may be made larger so as to facilitate theoutward and upward movement of the water and the clothes when acted upon by centrifugal force. Likewise, the angle of inclination of the side walls or the spinner 12 may be varied as desired.

of these vanes may be varied as desired of different classes of work.

bottom plate 2 by which the water may be withdrawn.

In the bottom of the spinner I2 I provide a port l3 through which the water may pass from the tub into the spinner. A slide valve l9 may be mounted in a casing 29 atached to the bottom of the spinner l2 and arranged to close the port 18 when in one position and to leave it open when withdrawn.

A valve rod 2| is revolvably mounted in bosses l4 and I5 united to the side wall of the spinner l2 and has an arm .2I.I at the lower end With its end turned down to engage a suitable opening in the slide valve l9. The upper end of the rod 2i is provided with a handle 2L2 by which the rod 2| may be rotated sufiiciently to cause the arm 2 H to actuate the slide l'9 in either direction.

In the form shown in Figure 3 the head 22 is formed with a circular recess in the top thereof in which an annular valve plate I91 is mounted surrounding the plug I6. case is provided with bores 22.I arranged to register with bores l8.l formed in the bottom of the spinner when in one position and to close off the bores I81 when in alternate position.

When this rotary form of valve is used, a narrow rod l9.2 may be used in place of the slide valve l9 and the inner end of it turned down and pivotally attached to therotary valve l9.l.

A semi-dome-shaped annular cover is mounted directly over the upper edge of the spinner and may be held in place by brackets H riveted to the cover, and brackets 4 united to the housing I by rivets 4.2. v

Dowel pins 39 may be united to the brackets I l and with their lower ends extending into suitable bores formed in brackets 8 to hold the cover 9 in place.

The central portion of the cover 9 is cut away and flanged downwardly at 10 so as to prevent splashing of Water and also aid in returning the clothes to the center of the spinner after they are forced upward by the centrifugal action of the spinner and water therein.

The cover 9 is spaced approximately one-eighth of an inch or less above the upper edges of-the spinner [2 so as to leave an opening 9.I through which the water may be driven by centrifugal force as the spinner revolves:

In the operation of this form of my machine the water line is designed to stand at the height shown by the dotted line A in both the spinner and the tub when. at rest, but when the spinner is revolved at high speed, the centrifugal force will carry the water over the upper edge of the spinner and out, into the tub, and will carry'the clothes up into the cover 9'which will deflect them toward the middle of the spinner. At the same time water will flow through the bore I8 up into the spinner and the constant circulation will be kept up while the spinner is revolving.

If desired, the cover 9 may be formed integral with the side walls of the spinner as shown in Figure 3, with an opening |9.l formed in the top of the cover 9 through which the clothes. may be placed in the spinner, and in that case, the cover will revolve with the spinner.

When so constructed, ports ll are formed around the spinner'just below the junction of the spinner and the cover and these ports may be opened or closed by an. annular band 39 having corresponding ports 4| formed therein. Ihe annular band 39 is mounted upon an annular support 4| .I riveted to the side wall of the spinner below the. line of the ports 4 l A handle 39.! may be united to the annular band 39 to aidinmoving The head 22 in this.

4 it so as to bring the ports 4| into or out of register with the ports 49.

In this form of apparatus, as the spinner revolves, the water will pass out through the ports 4| from the spinner into the tub when the ports 40 and 4| are in register and the clothes will pass up into contact with the cover and back to the middle of the spinner. When the ports are out of register, the water and the clothes will travel upward along the side walls of the spinner 12 until they reach the cover 9 at Which point they will be deflected inwardly and caused to drop into the central portion of the spinner.

I'he washing action of this machine is carried on not only by the movement of the Water through the clothes, but also by the rubbing action upon theclothes of the vanes [3, the side walls of the spinner and the cover 9.

In, both of the forms shown, the clothes may be dried by centrifugal action by closing the bores I8 or |8.I, the space between the spinner andthe side wall of the tub being so proportioned thatit will be suificient to contain all of the water.

from the spinner if previously filled to the desiredwater level as shown.

It should be noticed that with my machine; the rinsing water may be put in the spinner and. the clothes rinsed at the same time that'the wash water is being drawn out of the tub through the outlet 2.! or if desired, the clothes may be dried while the wash water remains in the tub ready to be used to wash. a second batch of clothes.

Asan alternative to the vanes l3, inclined corrugations [3.1 may be pressed in the side walls of the spinner l2 as shown in Figures '7 and 8 and horizontal corrugations 9.l may be formed in the cover 9. rubbing action upon the clothescoming incontact therewith and thus improve the washing action of the machine and process described.

It its obvious that various changes may be made in the. size, shape, proportions and arrangements of the various parts without departing from the spirit of my invention and I do not limit my claims to the. precise forms shown in the draw ings.

I claim:

1. In a washing machine, a housing with a lower supporting portion and. an upper tub portion. integral therewith, a transverse support rigidly mounted in the supporting portion, a

central bearing carried by said support, adriv ing shaft journaled in said bearing and means for rotating the driving shaft, 2. tub-like spinner with its bottom united to the upper-endof" the driving shaft and having an upwardly extending peripheral side wall inclining outwardly from its bottom to the top, a semi-dome-shape'd-annular cover positioned over said spinner with the-outer edge of the cover corresponding in size and shape to the upper edge of the-spinner and with the inner edge of the cover projecting'inwa'rd-ly and upwardly to a circle of about one-thi'rd-of the greatest diameter of the spinner whereby the movement of the spinner and the water therein will tend to deflect the upwardly moving clothes inwardly and downwardly, toward the center when brought into contact therewith by centrifugal force and bythe upward movement of the water along the sidewall of the spinner, ports in the bottom of the spinner and menually controllable valves arranged to. admit or' to shut off. the flow of water through the ports from they tub into the spinnerv 2. In a washing machine as. described in. claim Such corrugations. will cause a 1, said cover being spaced a short distance above the rim of the spinner whereby water may pass over the rim of the spinner and to the tub without carrying the clothes with it.

3. In a washing machine as described in claim 1, and upwardly and rearwardly inclined vanes united to the side wall of the spinner on the inside thereof arranged to augment the upward movement of water along the side wall of the spinner when revolved.

4. A washing machine as described in claim 1, with inwardly extending rearwardly and upwardly inclined corrugations formed in the side wall of the spinner arranged to produce rubbing action upon the clothes being washed therein and to augment the upward movement of the I water and the clothes along the Side wall of the spinner when revolved.

5. A washing machine as described in claim 1, said ports comprising one or more openings in the bottom of the spinner and the valves including a slide having corresponding openings arranged to register with the openings in the bottom of the spinner when in open position and to close said openings when in closed position.

6. A washing machine as described in claim 5, and a manually operable shaft journaled upon the side of the spinner having a handle at its upper end and an arm at its lower end pivotally united to the valve slide.

7. In a washing machine, a housing with a lower supporting portion and an upper tub portion integral therewith, a transverse support rigidly mounted in the lower portion, a central bearing block carried by the support, a driving shaft journaled in said block, a tub-like spinner with its bottom united to the upper end of the driving shaft and having an upwardly extending peripheral side wall inclining outwardly from its bottom, a semi-dome-shaped annular cover over said spinner with the outer edge of the cover corresponding in size and shape to the upper edge of the spinner and with the inner edge of the cover projecting inwardly and upwardly to a circle of about one-third of the greatest diameter of the spinner whereby the movement of the spinner and the water therein will tend to deflect the upwardly moving clothes inwardly and downwardly when brought intocontact therewith by centrifugal force and the movement of the water developed by such spinner, said cover being spaced a short distance not exceeding one-eighth of an inch above the a rim of the spinner whereby water may pass over the rim of the spinner to the tub, an arcuate inclined portion uniting the side wall to the bottom of the spinner arranged to promote upward movement of the water in the spinner along the side wall when the spinner is revolved, upwardly and rearwardly inclined means united to the side wall of the spinner arranged to augment the upward movement of the water along the side wall of the spinner when revolved, and ports and manually operable valves at the: bottom of the spinner arranged to admit or shut oif the flow of water from the tub into the spinner.

8. In a washing machine, a housing with a lower supporting portion and an upper tub portion integral therewith, a central bearing block rigidly mounted in the lower portion, a driving shaft journaled in said block, a tub-like spinner with its bottom united to the upper end of the driving shaft and having an upwardly extending side wall inclining outwardly from its bottom, a semi-dome-shaped annular cover rigidly united to the upper tub over said spinner with the outer edge of the cover corresponding in size and shape to the upper edge of the spinner, with the inner edge of the cover projecting inwardly and upwardly to a circle of about one-third of the greatest diameter of the spinner, and means to revolve the spinner whereby the movement of the water will tend to carry the clothes upwardly to the cover and the cover will tend to deflect them inwardly and downwardly toward the center of the spinner, said cover being spaced a short distance above the rim of the spinner whereby water may pass over the rim of the spinner to the tub.

HARRY J. CRINER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,301,055 Humberger Apr. 15, 1919 1,525,784 Twiggs Feb. 10, 1925 1,627,931 Schroeder May 10, 1927 1,796,004 Criner Mar. 10, 1931 1,850,138 Riall Mar. 22, 1932 2,161,208 Soderholm June 6, 1939 2,168,068 Loweke Aug. 1, 1939 2,269,190 Dunham Jan. 6, 1942 2,302,012 Dyer Nov. 17, 1942 2,331,700 Kirby Oct. 12, 1943 2,422,897 Hebard et al June 24, 1947 2,437,968 Palotsee Mar. 16, 1948 2,520,366 Kirby Aug. 29,v 1950 

